When i say the arrow is pointing up for the Browns, it's not about (another) close loss to the Steelers. They've been doing that at least every other year for 2 decades.

The arrow is pointing up because they seem to have a front office with a plan, amassing a lot of high picks, shedding bad contracts, and (mostly) working well with a good coaching staff. And their owner seems to be staying out of the way.

Although I'm a fan of Kizer's from his college days, I don't say that because of him alone. Chances are he'll flame out like the nearly 2 dozen signal-callers before him. But he has some upside, and if/when he flames out in '17, it only means they'll have picks to move up and pluck a QB out of a better '18 draft class.

The Cleveland franchise isn't sailing towards the iceberg anymore. That will make the team and division better.

I got your point exactly. I should have said every other draft the Browns fans seem to think they're on the way up. Lost in the graveyard of quarterbacks I failed to mention was Johnny Manziel. I still say as a Steelers fan I'm happy the Browns made the decision years ago to take Kellen Winslow Jr instead of Big Ben and select Joe Thomas instead of Adrian Petersen. Those 2 decisions haunt the franchise today.

Winslow was a bust, but Thomas was the right choice. Peterson would have been run into the ground in that division and under the FOs CLE previously had.

I'm no Browns fan, but I have followed their situation for years (since, incidentally, my first sports love was the Steelers). They're a few years and a few drafts away from even thinking about .500 but they're setting themselves up better than they have under prior regimes.

Good night, sweet Prince | 7 June 1958 - 21 April 2016

Props will be withheld until the showing and proving has commenced. -- Aaron McGruder

Stop your crying about the most overrated hit on a QB ever. That was like 10 years ago and Palmer is still in the league. Tons of dirty hits on Ben throughout his career including Burfict hit in that playoff game the other year. Also dirty hit on Ben from the Rams few years ago and broken nose by the Ravens

what the hell is going on with Sam Bradford's eyes???...it always looks like one eye is looking downfield at deep routes, and the other eye is looking down at the pass rush...how is he able to do this????...even when he's not in the game, his eyes are off...its kinda scary ... how can safeties read his eyes to see where he is going with the ball?...which eye does he use, to look off DB's who are trying to get a read on where he is going with the ball...so many questions...

^ with that said...he was on fire last night...that 3 play drive where he put the Vikes ahead 10-6, was three of the most beautiful passes i ever saw...the 2nd one to Jaruius Wright, almost defied logic, how he split the two defenders without even being able to see the receiver and while being crushed... if "Left Eye" Bradford gets a clean pocket, he can sling it with the best of them...who knew???

what the hell is going on with Sam Bradford's eyes???...it always looks like one eye is looking downfield at deep routes, and the other eye is looking down at the pass rush...how is he able to do this????...even when he's not in the game, his eyes are off...its kinda scary ... how can safeties read his eyes to see where he is going with the ball?...which eye does he use, to look off DB's who are trying to get a read on where he is going with the ball...so many questions...

Bengals voice frustration in 0-2 start, lack of offense

Being 0-2 is one thing. Being 0-2 without scoring a single touchdown in those two games? That's bad.

Plenty of Cincinnati Bengals took to the media after their 13-9 loss to the Houston Texans on Thursday night to vent their frustrations with the team's lack of wins, and, more specifically, the lack of offense.

"I am shocked. Yes I am," coach Marvin Lewis said of his offense's performance through the first two weeks of the season so far, via the team's official website. "We should be better."

"It's bad because we have so much talent. We shouldn't be playing this bad," receiver A.J. Green added.

"What's frustrating to me is we're not punching it in," cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick said. "Everybody has weapons. They have high paid receivers, cornerbacks. Everybody has players. They just outplayed us tonight."

"Not scoring a touchdown in two games is not good. I don't have the answers, but we have to figure it out," tight end Tyler Eifert said.

The quotes go on and on. The frustration with the Bengals' offense -- which was shut out in a Week 1 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and which managed just three fields goals Thursday night -- was readily apparent in the post-game interviews.

Most of the Bengals didn't offer up solutions. Take it one day at a time, focus in -- all the common clichés were spouted around.

Green, however, did have one suggestion.

"As one of the leaders of the offense, I feel like when we're not having a spark, I need the ball in my hands somehow, somewhere, we gotta find a way to get me the ball," Green told reporters. "We're not doing that right now."

Feeding a playmaker like Green, who caught just five passes on eight targets for 67 yards against the Texans, would certainly be a start. But the Bengals need far more than just a few more catches from their Pro Bowl wideout to right the ship.

And they know that.

"Obviously, we need to come out firing next week," center Russel Bodine said. "Obviously, we certainly haven't played well enough to win, as it shows."

You know, these games have a preseason feel to them. While it's good for the players that they don't hit as much in practice and the preseason, the current practice rules and protocols make September feel like a glorified exhibition season.

Good night, sweet Prince | 7 June 1958 - 21 April 2016

Props will be withheld until the showing and proving has commenced. -- Aaron McGruder

You know, these games have a preseason feel to them. While it's good for the players that they don't hit as much in practice and the preseason, the current practice rules and protocols make September feel like a glorified exhibition season.

You know, these games have a preseason feel to them. While it's good for the players that they don't hit as much in practice and the preseason, the current practice rules and protocols make September feel like a glorified exhibition season.

They just fired their offensive coordinator

The beginning of the end for Marvin Lewis.

Good night, sweet Prince | 7 June 1958 - 21 April 2016

Props will be withheld until the showing and proving has commenced. -- Aaron McGruder

Nah, they're too cheap to fire Lewis and replace him with a big-name coach.

yep... and Marvin Lewis is somehow cool with forever being paid well below market rate... Cincinnati Bengals have always been one of the most cheapest, penny pinchingest franchises in pro sports...which is why they never win Championships...or even playoff games...